Orders to try to capture this man. But apparently a firefight broke out. Handtohand combat he resisted. He was killed in the firefight along with other isis fighters there. His wife captured and taken back to iraq. The big question why this guy, why was it worth risking so much u. S. Military lives to go after him . What we are being told is he was an isis leader if you will in their oil and gas operations. So thats very key. Because of the Financial Impact the financial benefit to isis. But perhaps more serious even there had been a sense by the u. S. That he was increasingly involved in isis command and control. And isis operations. And u. S. Officials are beginning to indicate there may have been a reason to believe he might have been in contact at some point with abu bakr albaghdadi, the very reclusive leader of isis. The guy the u. S. Of course wants to get. All right. Lets talk more about this Senior International correspondent Nick Paton Walsh is with us from beirut. Nick you ha
Hit today. Plus, goodbye to a latenight icon. No. No. No. No. No. Youre not going anywhere david letterman. What are you gonna do . Newsroom starts now. Hello again, thanks for joining me im fredricka whitfield. This is cnn breaking news. This breaking news out of iraq. A Major Development in the war against isis. Another iraqi city has fallen now to isis. The city of ramadi. The mayer and a highranking security official the last Iraqi Security forces have pulled out from a key military base on the west side of that city. When asked about isis being in control of the city, a spokesperson for the governor of anbar says basically yes, but its a big city. There are still pockets of resistance. Ramadi ramadis mayor says isis militants had arrived by the hundreds. This morning they began debt top nating a series of car bombs, forcing the iraqi fighters to retreat. The Iraqi Federal police and iraqs Prime Minister both vowed to send in reenforcements now. Joining me now is the former navy s.
Syrian army that the president wants to build up can effectively serve as a ground force while the u. S. Air strikes are moving forward in syria in the weeks and days ahead. Especially since the president himself youll remember recently suggested it was a fantasy to say that the Syrian Free Army could be an effective force. Critics saying the president is not showing that they can be fully vetted. And that these arms could wind up in the hands of terrorists. Then you have the fact the president recently suggested that he was in defensive mode. That his philosophy was dont do stupid stuff. Last night he had a much more different offensive mind. I pressed josh earnest about those contradictions. Listen. Just a few weeks ago the president was mocking the Free Syrian Army. I dont think i would describe the president s words that way. Farmers, pharmacists honorable positions. Honorable, but not necessarily warriors. They are not. I thought the president said the defining principle of Foreig
Foreign policy issues. Foxs own ed henry is standing by at the white house to explain tonight. Ed. Reporter good evening, sean. Interesting, Speaker John Boehner did indicate today hes willing to push through the president s plan to arm the Syrian Rebels as well as 500 million for the early stages of battling isis. But theres skepticism on both parties because of some of those contradictions you mentioned in the policy, the new strategy announced by the president to a primetime audience. Questions about whether the Free Syrian Army that the president wants to build up can effectively serve as a ground force while the u. S. Air strikes are moving forward in syria in the weeks and days ahead. Especially since the president himself youll remember recently suggested it was a fantasy to say that the Syrian Free Army could be an effective force. Critics saying the president is not showing that they can be fully vetted. And that these arms could wind up in the hands of terrorists. Then you ha
Official says new air strikes in syria appear to have killed a key member of the Al Qaedalinked Khorasan Group. David drugeon is described as a french jihadist and skilled bomb maker. Sources say he has been developing explosives to be smuggled on to airplanes. Officials believe he has also been helping move fighters to and from europe and plotting attacks in europe. Air strikes targeting drugeon back in september failed. Cnn terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank explanation what may have changed. Suggesting the United States has very good intelligence about the movements of khorasan operatives, particularly of drugeon suggests they either have a guy inside the group or near the fringes of the group, or they were able to pick up specific electronic transmissions indicating their movements. Drugeon is believed to have been in a vehicle hit in a series of five strikes in sarmada. Official says the strikes destroyed several khorasan buildings, including a suspected bomb factory. Most u. S. A